'Game of Thrones' season 5 cast revealed

At Comic-Con Friday, HBO announced nine new cast members coming to Game of Thrones, including acclaimed veteran actor Jonathan Pryce. Some of the newcomers have been the subjects of online casting rumors for the last several weeks.

The list includes a recasting of young Myrcella Baratheon (Cersei’s daughter, last seen being put in a ship to Dorne for her own protection in season 2) and the addition of Pryce, who will play a powerful religious leader in King’s Landing. Several of the new cast members populate the Kingdom of Dorne, as Thrones shifts part of its focus next year to the home of Prince Oberyn Martell (following his gruesome death at the hands of the The Mountain last season). The Dorne scenes will be largely shot in Spain, which is likewise a fresh location for the multi-country production.

Be sure to also check out the new Game of Thrones blooper reel too. Here are all of Thrones’ season 5 cast additions, with HBO’s official descriptions for each character:

Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean series, Ronin and Brazil)as the High Sparrow. ”A devout and pious man, the High Sparrow came to King’s Landing to serve those forgotten by much of the world—the poor, the downtrodden and the infirm—and quickly amassed a large following. His fellow believers have swarmed over the city, ministering to the lowest and decrying the corruption of the highest.”

Alexander Siddig (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Da Vinci’s Demons, 24) as Doran Martell. ”Doran Martell is the ruling lord of Dorne and older brother to the late Prince Oberyn Martell. Unlike his brother, Doran is even-tempered and deliberate. Now, all of Dorne waits to see how their lord will react to his brother’s death.”

Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith) as Obara Sand. ”A fearsome warrior, Obara Sand is the eldest bastard daughter of the late Prince Oberyn Martell. Her mother was a Dornish peasant girl who caught the eye of the late Prince.”

Jessica Henwick (UK shows Silk, North by Northhamptonshire) as Nymeria (“Nym”) Sand. ”Nym Sand is the second eldest of the late Prince Oberyn’s bastard daughters. Her mother was an Eastern noblewoman who brought Nym up to be cultured, graceful and deadly with a whip.”